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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. root — the cause
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. board — a committee
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — to get on
  8. bound — obliged
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. firm — decided
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — of a word
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. firm — steady
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — a company
  23. land — to come down
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com